Cloudy Water New Tank?

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

I just set up a BioCube 29 HQI and used dry sand. Didn't wash it, now the water is really cloudy and won't uncloud. I'm running filter pads with carbon in them and filter floss, but still want clear up.

What can I do? I have guppies coming on Thursday which is why I set the tank up. Were going to go into my greenhouse where my other guppies are doing great, but I'm worried since these are a very expensive breed. Can I just do water changes? What else can I do?

[Kyrol]

Is it cycled yet? If you cycled it you can just do a few water changes to get the solids out of the water. run your hands in the substrate to knock all the dust loose so you first water change it doesn't just blow it all back up into the tank.

[shinycard255]

Since you didn't rinse the sand before putting that in, it could be little bits of sand floating around in the water. Not sure how long it would take to settle, but you could try doing a massive (90%) water change and see if that helps any.

I would also recommend using a bowl or something in the tank when filling it up as to not stir up any of the sand

The only other thing I can think of it being is a bacterial bloom. If it's a bacterial bloom, water changes help, but it might come back even after a water change. The best for this type of situation is to just let it clear up on it's own (I've had to wait at least a week before for this to clear up on my first tank)

[jeremyTR]

I know when I didn't rinse my sand good enough I had to water changes for six hours straight...

Sent from my HTC Evo 4G

[evilhorde]

Originally Posted by shinycard255

The only other thing I can think of it being is a bacterial bloom. If it's a bacterial bloom, water changes help, but it might come back even after a water change. The best for this type of situation is to just let it clear up on it's own (I've had to wait at least a week before for this to clear up on my first tank)

Whenever I set up a new tank I get very cloudy water for a few days to a week. Water changes and filters have never helped me with this. Only time seems to settle it. My unwashed sand substrate floating in the water settled out within a few hours but the 'foggy' water persists for a few days.

[shinycard255]

Originally Posted by evilhorde

Whenever I set up a new tank I get very cloudy water for a few days to a week. Water changes and filters have never helped me with this. Only time seems to settle it. My unwashed sand substrate floating in the water settled out within a few hours but the 'foggy' water persists for a few days.

To be honest, I've only had the bacterial bloom happen once and that was on my first tank. I don't really know what causes it, but I know that water changes helped at first, but then the cloudiness just came back. After a weeks time of looking at a cloudy tank, it finally started to go away and has never came back.

Ever since that day, I've cycled 4 tanks (which are still up and running) and I have never had another bacterial bloom. Not sure what makes it appear, but apparently whatever I've been doing since then must be a good thing

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

It's not a bacterial bloom. Its sand... I'll do a 90% water change or something. Thanks!

[jeremyTR]

Better do a few of em

Sent from my HTC Evo 4G

[Kyrol]

If the tank isn't cycled yet I wouldn't worry about it. Not removing all the ammonia and letting the cycle finish is more important you can always do the water change after the fact.

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

Did over 100% water change. Just as cloudy lol.

I think I may just put them out in the greenhouse until it clears up and cycles. Its about 80-85F during the day and 65-70 F at night. Usually swings about 10-15 degrees. Hasn't killed the other guppies out there, so...?

Hopefully it hurries up and cycles. I put the driftwood in and some plants from petco and will put some plants I have in the tanks in the greenhouse in there when I move them fish over.

15F temperature swing slowly from day to night shouldn't hurt, right?

[Complexity]

What sand did you use? Sounds like you used play sand. If so, you're probably better off dumping that sand and getting some pool filter sand.

[GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy]

Originally Posted by Complexity

What sand did you use? Sounds like you used play sand. If so, you're probably better off dumping that sand and getting some pool filter sand.

I did, but I've used it in three other guppy tanks with no issues.

[shinycard255]

Originally Posted by GuppyGuppyGuppyGuppyGuppy

It's not a bacterial bloom. Its sand... I'll do a 90% water change or something. Thanks!

I didn't think it was, but was throwing out there anyway. Once you said you never washed the sand, I knew it was that. The small debris that is in sand can make a tank look cloudy if not rinsed out first. I used PFS on my 15G RCS tank and I'm glad that I rinsed it out before using it. Now my only complain is that I wish I had used black sand instead of white sand

[AaronMB]

In my experience, even the "clean" sands (ie: 'you shouldn't have to rinse') do need rinsing.
If it's a totally new setup, with a few of the plants being from a tank you already have, you're not going to cycle quickly - so I'd dump the tank, rinse the sand, rinse it some more, then set it back up, using the advice above to use a bowl, or some other method, to gently add water.
If you can trade out a bunch of sand from an established tank, or one of its filter media, that will help cycle your tank a little faster. It won't be overnight, though, and if you've a tankful of guppies coming, you may be in for some water changes. Keep an eye on your parameters.

[Complexity]

When I set up my 90g as a cichlid tank, I used Leslie's pool filter sand. It is the only sand recommended by local cichlid keepers. I literally poured the sand into a tank full of water straight from the bag and only received minimal clouding. One water change is all it took to get crystal clear water. I replaced the sand one time over the years and did the same exact thing and got the same excellent results.

However, when I was doing the sand change-out, I had asked my husband to get the sand for me. He came home with a different pool filter sand. Thankfully, I tested it before putting it in my tank. It clouded up. I returned the sand and got the right brand.

When I went to the store, I took a bottle of water and a small cup. They let me open a bag and put some of the sand in water so I could see if it clouded up. The wrong sand immediately clouded up with even a small amount of sand in a small amount of water while the Leslie's brand did not.

Here's the sand I very highly recommend. However, always test before dumping an entire bag in your tank. http://www.lesliespool.com/Home/Filt...ies/14700.html